Chapter 39 – The Best Goods (4)
“Someone from the clan has fallen under a curse of corruption, so you set out on an adventure to find a priest from the Order with purification powers to save him?”
“Of course, we could handle something as simple as stopping a curse. But this curse seems a bit different…”
Thanks to my intervention, Arisa, who had been freed from her shackles, traced her fingers over the distinct marks left on her wrists while speaking up.
Her mention of the curse, which she was cautiously bringing up, widened my eyes. It was clear that the humanity-destroying project initiated with the toppling of the tower was still affecting us, generations later, trying to annihilate our descendants.
“I want to know more about this curse that seems a bit strange. I’ve heard and seen some things lately.”
“I don’t know the details well since I received an urgent command suddenly. But, who exactly are you? I haven’t seen anyone like you at the gathering where all the clan representatives gathered.”
Arisa scratched her head, admitting her limited knowledge as someone merely carrying out orders. Simultaneously, it seemed she was finally getting curious about my identity.
Although she recognized me as a member of her kind, it was clear that I still seemed strange to her.
“I’ve never attended the meetings where all the elf clan representatives gather, so of course, you wouldn’t have seen me. Would you believe me if I said I was one of the High Elves from the distant past who gave rise to your race?”
“That’s impossible. The High Elves all…”
To earn her trust and gather more information, I revealed that I was indeed a High Elf. Upon hearing this, Arisa’s eyes shook intensely. It was a reaction that indicated she couldn’t fully accept what I had just said.
“You suddenly disappeared, and yet you’re back. The High Elves that vanished back then have no relation to me, though.”
I didn’t bother to mention that I had spent a thousand years trapped in a tower until I was ejected. In fact, I didn’t need to say it; Arisa already believed I was a special elf.
I was certainly an elf, just like the current elves, but I was markedly different. My appearance and the powers I wielded separated me from them.
“Spirit magic was a privilege that only those closely related to the High Elves could possess. I never imagined I would meet someone like you in a place like this.”
“There’s not much that is confirmed yet, but a new form of curse called erosion has been discovered recently in Su’an. The catastrophe that appeared with the tower’s collapse is still lingering, trying to kill you, no, us. What has appeared in your village might be something similar.”
I explained why I was concerned about it to her, who looked stunned. If the curse appearing in Arisa’s clan was another form of erosion, it would confirm the worst hypothesis I had conceived alongside Renia.
I needed to fix the barn before the cattle were lost.
“I will return to the village immediately and inform them of this.”
Having gone through the experience of being rescued from a place where she was about to be sold, Arisa nodded, as if realizing what was important. She intended to go back to the village right away, spread the news I provided, and take me with her.
“Do you think the villagers will believe me easily?”
“I believe because I saw it myself, but it won’t be easy at all. That’s why I have one request. If you could share just one strand of your hair, I could use the power within it to prove your existence to our clansmen.”
She asked me for a strand of my hair, insisting that it would help her convince her people, although she was unsure of how the other elves would react.
“In fact, the news of you having reappeared in the world will be more shocking than the stories of curses or erosion. Many elves regard the High Elves of long ago as their ancestral deities.”
“Then, tell them that there’s no need for such a fuss. I’m just an ordinary person like you.”
Having received one strand of my rich, flowing hair, she was about to hastily leave, as if there was no time to waste. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her urgency.
I understood the elves’ sentiments, but there wasn’t much I could do for them. In fact, I needed their help at this moment.
‘Will she be able to make it safely?’
I found myself more worried about her leaving alone. Although it was her own fault for being careless, she was someone who had almost been sold into slavery.
“—?”
“Yeah. I’m not going right away. She’ll handle everything and send me word later. Rushing into something will only lead to trouble, as Arisa has already shown by being betrayed and almost captured by those scum, right?”
I tilted my head in response to the earth spirit, questioning why it wasn’t following her. This was a plan I had already discussed with Arisa.
She would return to the village first to inform them of the situation and then relay the news back to me, while I would make my way to her hidden village.
It was bound to be a chaotic situation if I suddenly appeared without a warning. I would be just as surprised if someone claiming to be the founder of Gojoseon appeared in front of me without notice.
‘I should start heading out.’
I could hear the sounds of the guards approaching from far off, riding on the wind. Left sprawled on the ground was Herman’s group, who had lost consciousness, and I discreetly slipped down an alley in my hooded cloak.
*
“Ultimately, it seems they couldn’t find the elf who was captured. They say she escaped and freed herself. But they must have secured some testimonies and evidence.”
“Right. I freed her, and she returned to her homeland. By now, she probably hasn’t left the city.”
“When the guards were dragging their feet at first, I thought we were in big trouble. So, has everything gone smoothly for what we wanted to do?”
Patrick, who looked directly at me, nodded in acknowledgment that he had expected this outcome.
Returning late at night to the accommodation where Lina and Patrick were already back, I shared the results with them.
Using the guards to clean up those who had been greedy, I also used this opportunity to eliminate Herman, who was a rival of Ethan and was attempting to obstruct my plans.
We had obtained everything we desired.
“Right. Now we can relax and enjoy ourselves before heading back. We could technically head back right away, but it’s been tough, hasn’t it?”
Laughing, I flopped onto the soft bed. Throughout this entire process, our enemies hadn’t even realized we existed.
If they couldn’t figure me out, then they would have to keep suffering as if they had just been told to accept what they didn’t know. I didn’t think I could keep it hidden forever, but for now, I was determined to take advantage as long as I could.
“I can finally feel a bit of relief.”
Lina let out a sigh of relief and brushed her chest.
In reality, what we had done this time wasn’t direct combat but merely gathering information and conducting operations, yet it seemed she felt fear toward becoming hostile to the organization.
‘It was somewhat fun.’
Thus, two days flew by. With Herman captured, there was no need to keep an eye on him, resulting in purely enjoyable days.
It felt like time had passed unusually quickly, even though it seemed I hadn’t done much during our relaxing days off after achieving all our goals.
Now, it was time to end this sweet vacation and return beyond the space jump.
‘What? Why are you waiting all the way out here?’
Upon arriving in Su’an, I found Ethan waiting for us. I glanced at Patrick, then used the wind spirit to relay a message to him.
“I received news starting from that day. One crucial branch has been shattered, and the organization is completely turned upside down.”
“I didn’t do anything. That guy was just being greedy and ended up falling over.”
“While that’s true…”
After parting ways with Patrick and returning home to finally talk with Ethan, he poured out his words in a rush, as if he had been waiting for me to return.
“Who would have guessed? To think they were planning to capture and sell elves at that moment. Herman must have been desperate to obtain that elf, battling for superiority within the organization.”
Ethan clicked his tongue, indicating he found Herman’s greed foolish but understandable. He added that an elf slave would definitely win favor with the upper echelons.
“With your organization already conducting numerous operations across multiple cities, isn’t it easy to obtain something like that? Is an inter-species slave truly worth going that far for?”
“It’s not just because it’s an inter-species slave; it’s because it’s an elf. Beastman slaves and human slaves are commonplace. Those who use drastic measures to subjugate slaves in other countries’ large farms are likely to steer clear of elves, as they are difficult to break.”
“So, it’s a matter of being a pricey and rare luxury.”
Rarity is never to be underestimated. No matter how much money is involved or how high the authority, the facts that they cannot possess it drive them mad.
From the viewpoint of those selling it, it is the finest good, worth more than the weight of gold. Ethan assessed elf slaves in that manner.
